Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-29

and the appropriation II $50, ~ IOT klat
purpose is a waste the fIdH's
money. A fair and &C, lste sur - Ind
classification Of the schfI lands - lid
/ cost the state $500, 900, Nhile the Com
missioner has at his disposal but $50
! 900. An inaccurate and hssty cIassIliGa-
ton must result in serious'inju justice to To-
CaIities and TO settlers.
Hundreds of prospective settlers are
awaiting patiently the 'ection Of
/ the Lsnd Commissioner on this
question The hOme-secker may choose
/ 3 location and hold it against anv subse-
/ quent applicant TO purchase, but II, in
! the meantime, the Commissioner should
decide that the locality in which he has
/ settled is not wanted for settlement, and
| include it in lease, the settler would be
compelled to seek other quarters.
/ Another danger which is dreaded and
which prevents all settlement now, is that
/ s'ter improvements have been made the
| commissioner may atiiX an unreasonable
price, which would neCessitate their
abandonment The uncertainties con-
/ neCted with the sale system are working
/ daily to the detTiment of this county in
/ the encouragement of settlement.
| individuals who own large tracts of
]
| for not wanting the school lands sold
would like to see them priced at So
an acre, but the friends of settlement gre
( anxious that the lowest prices possible
! shall prevail, What IS the highest puT-
/ pose TO be subserYed in the enforcement
of the law l do not know that Mr..
Hall would be far wrong if he should re-
ply, leasing.
This law is not only Objectionable be-
cause it discriminates against the settler,
but is sale features are $50 impractiCabIe
SIS in themselves to prove q serious
obstacle to settlement A business
man who desired TO effect the sale
Of tract of land in distant county to
an individual soiOurning in that county
would, as matter of course, secure q To-
cai agent there to point ont the land, If
not to conduct the negotiations. But
this eTr8tiC scheme expects an immigrant,
usually from another state, who knows
nothing about the land laws Of Texas, the
conditions of sale, the obligations he
must assume or the location Of the lands
in fact, is without any information what
ever on the sUbjeCt-tO perform all
MS duties as purchaser,
place himself upon the proper
section and execute the contract in all its
details, without any assistance or counsel
whatever, and is so strict N its require
ments that if he fails in any particular,
even in the payment Of interest on the
exact day due, his land and sill Of its i'm
prUvements are forfeited to the state
without notice or judicial action. Such
S system would provoke 8 smile weT-
this not something more than 8 laughing
matter. The only provision in
the l6w which shows any
recognition of the fact that
there must be contract before & sale, is
6 clause which directs the Commissioner
to send TO the clerk of each county nOtil-
cation Of the valuation OF lands Which
are offered for sale in his county, and
provides that the clerk shall record such
notification in "a we'll bound book"
Where the clerk IS to procure the well
bound book, who shall pay him for his
services, aud what is the penalty of his
neglect, are questions which the law has
left unanswered. The probable re-
suit of this provision Will be that
the clerks Of the school land
districts will add the business of 8 land
agency to their Official duties-s COnsum.
nation devoutly to be abhorred. But
the only information which the county
clerk viii be able TO give will be the val
uation Of the lands N his district by
section number, and when he has cot
that the applicant Will be, if possible,
more mystihed than before.
There is danger in this law, not only as
70 present settlement but with reference
to future titles. II it IS executed without
regard to its defects complications will
result which viii more clearly illustrate
the folly Of this bantling Of the Twentieth
Legislature than any exposition Of it az
this date csn possibly 60. Common sense .
suggests that the state should provide
some way for the applicant to post him
self as to the conditions of the sale and
the location Of the lands.
The mistake CT the law is that it IS sim
ply theory, taking TO account Cf details.
As the statement Of & policy it is eXeCrs-
bic, lacking clearness and consistency: ss
piece OF legal machinery it IS monu-
mental failure, being without cogwheel, .
bands or motivePower. EUMEDIA.
CousIrxr lptfon Cured,